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    The Shipwreck A Story for the Young
    The Shipwreck A Story for the Young
    The Shipwreck A Story for the Young
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    The Shipwreck A Story for the Young

    By Mary Richards Gray and Joseph Spillman

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    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 27, 2013
    The Shipwreck A Story for the Young

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      Book preview

      The Shipwreck A Story for the Young - Mary Richards Gray

      The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Shipwreck, by Joseph Spillman, Translated by Mary Richards Gray

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

      Title: The Shipwreck A Story for the Young

      Author: Joseph Spillman

      Release Date: May 16, 2006 [eBook #18399]

      Language: English

      Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

      ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHIPWRECK***

      E-text prepared by Al Haines

      THE SHIPWRECK

      A Story for the Young

      by

      REV. JOSEPH SPILLMANN, S. J.

      Translated from the German

      Mary Richards Gray

      Second Edition

      St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden) Published by B. Herder, 1910.

      TALES OF FOREIGN LANDS

      A Series of Stories for the Young

      Edited by Rev. Joseph Spillmann, S. J.

      Vol. VII.

      The Shipwreck

      Second Edition

      St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden)

      Published by B. Herder,

      1910.

      Copyright 1906

      by

      Joseph Gummersbach.

      CONTENTS.

      Chapter.

          I. Two Young Friends

         II. Sad Tidings

        III. Aboard the St. George

         IV. With the Priest of the God of the Golden Fish

          V. In the City

         VI. The Chinese New Year

        VII. The Unexpected Departure

       VIII. A Very Real Danger

         IX. A New Plan

          X. The Hurricane

         XI. Stranded

        XII. At Last

      To

      ANN ELIZA SMYTHE OF CHICAGO

      The translator dedicates her part of this little volume.

      THE SHIPWRECK.

      CHAPTER I.

      Two Young Friends.

      At the mouth of the great river of Canton lies a maze of islands large and small, of which the most important is Hongkong on account of its fine harbor. More than half a century ago the English seized upon this island and forced the Chinese to cede it to them. Then it was little more than a barren rock with a low swampy shore on which were a few villages inhabited by poor fisher folk. The swamps have been drained, gardens planted, and villas built, until now the once barren heights vie in beauty with the grass-grown slopes of the hills at the foot of which in the shade of great trees nestle pleasant little fisher hamlets. On the north side of the island stands the capital city, Victoria, in which tier above tier, stair-like the rows of houses and splendid buildings rise one above another up the side of a hill. Beautiful quays, broad streets lined with shade trees, churches, barracks, theaters, hospitals, hotels, and shops with great show windows take one back in thought to the European capitals; and as the elaborately decorated pagodas are not near to the Christian churches, and, as there are not many more Chinese than English people in the streets, one can almost forget that he is within the confines of China and a tropical land.

      In this great capital city nearly all the missionary societies of China have settlements, and in each of the missionary seminaries the stranger finds a hospitable welcome, but the one we like best of all to visit is the beautiful College of the Holy Saviour in Mayland. It stands in the very shadow of the cathedral, the tall spires of which, towering to the heavens, tell us in which direction to turn our steps to find it. We know full well that the door-keeper, the old Italian Brother with snow-white hair and coal-black eyes, will greet us cordially, and show us the garden and the grounds on which blonde-haired European boys play in brotherly fashion with pig-tailed Chinese youths. When Brother Onufrio—for this is the name of the door-keeper—is in very good humor and has the time he tells us stories of his experiences in the College of the Holy Saviour in which he has been in active service since its foundation. One of these is the wonderful history of the small Irish lad, Willy Brown, the son of a sea captain, and his friend, the Chinese foundling, Joseph. We shall tell the tale just as Brother Onufrio would tell it, beginning with the day in the first year of his residence in Hongkong when the crosses were placed on the spires of the dome of the cathedral.

      * * * * * *

      A few days before the Chinese New Year in 1858 the work on the cathedral had progressed so far that the great golden crosses could be erected. Securely fastened with strong ropes they lay at the foot of the scaffolding ready to be drawn up into place, and standing about in a half circle were missioners, pupils, and workmen. The Apostolic Prefect, dressed in festal robes, and attended by the small acolytes, Willy Brown and the Chinese Joseph, had blessed the crosses. Then at a signal the workmen pulled the ropes and, as they rose on high, the clear, piping voices of the boys rang out in the splendid old hymn:

        The Royal banners forward go,

        The Cross shines forth in mystic glow;

        On which the One Who in our flesh was made

        Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

      When the crosses had been put in place the Prefect made a speech, saying among other things, Now afar over Hongkong and its harbor where it may be seen not only by all the people who dwell here but also by those who come in ships from far distant ports shines the sign of Our Lord. Of all that the head of the order of missioners said on this occasion this impressed little Willy most, and when the celebration was over the small acolyte went to Father Somazzo and said: Father, the Apostolic Prefect said that the cross on the cathedral could be seen from all the ships that come into the harbor. From the cross can you see all the ships?

      Yes, certainly, Willy, he answered. From all the ships, streets, open squares, and hills round about from which the cross is visible, any and all those places are visible from the dome on which the cross stands.

      Oh, then, Father, let me climb up. It is not dangerous. The ladders are fastened tightly to the scaffolding, and the scaffolding is so strong that it will hold big men. Yesterday at recess Joseph almost climbed up; he would have gone to the very top, if the Prefect had not seen him and called him down. O Father, don't frown so at me, but let me go. I want so much to see whether my father's ship has come. He wrote that he would be here before the New Year, and I would know his ship at a glance from the golden picture of holy Saint George that's on the bow. Please, Father, please.

      Father Somazzo shook his head and said: The ship is too far away for you to see what is painted on the bow, and besides it is too dangerous for you to climb up there. You might get dizzy and fall, and what would your father say if he were to come here and find you a corpse, or with your legs and arms broken?

      Oh, but Father, I do not get dizzy. I have often been up on the rigging of the 'Saint George', in the crow's nest, and even on the very highest yard. I know every bit of the rigging of the ship. O Father, let me climb up right now.

      The teacher looked at Willy earnestly and raised his finger chidingly. Willy, he said, "you've got that stubborn little head of yours set again. How often have I told you that it is not becoming for you to insist on having your own way. No, you

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